4 lessons learned from garage sales

Weekends are spent taking a break from all my money-making activities (ie, work) to relax and enjoy the fruits of my labor. But not last weekend. Instead of being lazy, I was up and about selling my stuff at the well-attended Bloggers United Bazaar and at a garage sale the following day. I didn’t expect anything more than to earn some cash and hang out with friends, but two days of being at the selling end of a booth taught me a few interesting lessons too.

Photo from here

1. It doesn’t pay to be an impulse shopper

Four years of accumulated clothing encouraged me to participate at Bloggers United (and do a garage sale of my own); my closet needed some serious decluttering, and I was only happy to get rid of them at these venues. As I hung my clothes on the dress rack, I realized that 80 percent of my items were clothes I accumulated on impulse over the last two years. They were too trendy, too dated, and had limited “remix” value (difficult to wear more than once). As for the 20 percent, they were clothes that don’t fit me anymore.

Impulse purchases bring an element of excitement to shopping, but I am definitely thinking twice before I bring an item to the cash register next time. Getting rid of unwanted items takes a lot of effort, not to mention that they end up selling at a price lower than you had hoped.

2. The goal is not to make money

Don’t hold a garage sale with the intention of making money. The real goal is to get rid of your clutter as quickly as you can while selling them at a fair price. I discovered that the best way to do this is to use quantity pricing – offering discounts based on the volume of the buyer’s purchases. At the garage sale, I placed my tops and bottoms in a box, where each item cost P50. However, buyers get one 1 item free if they buy 4 from the box. I did a similar thing at Bloggers United – P300 per dress, P500 for two dresses, and P600 for three dresses.  Several customers really took their time choosing three dresses, including a burly man who wanted something for his pregnant girlfriend. I felt warm and fuzzy inside when he walked away with three floral numbers for his baby mama.

3. You’re not as big a cheapskate as you think

I thought I was a cheapskate for limiting my shopping to thrift stores, but the garage sale world is filled with even bigger cheapskates who stretch the limits of your offered bargains. A lady wanted a lower price for a P20 bag because the strap had a minor tear that could be easily repaired. Her friend insisted on paying P30 pesos for a single item from the P50 box.  I understand the need to save money you can, but it’s important to know when to give discounts and when to stand your ground. Don’t give in to buyers who can’t accept a good deal when they see one.

4. One garage sale may not be enough

Depending on how much stuff you have and how many people in your neighborhood are, you may need to hold more than one garage sale to get rid of everything. I was hoping to be done with it after this weekend, but bad weather put the garage sale to a halt. Looks like I’m going to have to do this again next Sunday! Shoot me an email at laurendado@gmail.com if you’d like to attend the garage sale.